The Pains of Growing Up
by redoctoberrose
Summary: After Univeristy Haru comes to live with the Tachibana family. He finds himself spending a lot of time with the twins; Ran is happy and adoring as always but Ren seems to be nervous about something. Makoto ends up learning the truth and struggles to keep everyone's secrets. RenxHaruxRan. Future AU.
1. Welcome Home, Haru-chan!

What's this- am I actually writing something that's not Rin and Nitori?! Ahaha, yes, I am! I know this chapter is kinda short, but I'm already well underway for the next one so bear with me.

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Haru closed his eyes and rested the back of his head against the window of the train. It had been a long four years of university and he was finally returning home. Well, sort of. Since he wasn't going to be using it for so long his parents had decided to sell the home he had lived alone in all through high school, but the Tachibana family, who treated him like their own, had kindly offered to let him live with them while he found an apartment for himself. Makoto would be returning home, too, until he found a place (likely with Haru, since rent would be cheaper that way).

The train screeched to a halt, allowing passengers on and off, though Haru remained seated, his eyes not even twitching open as people bumped his legs while scurrying past. This was the last stop before his. Haru remembered when he and Makoto had left, how Nagisa, Rei, Gou, and all of Makoto's family had been there to see them off. By the time he and Makoto had past this point going away from Iwatobi, Nagisa was already texting them about how much he missed them. Back then it had been annoying, but now he wondered how they were all doing, each off to study their own things, and wished he'd not dropped his phone in the water, losing all of his contacts. He should remember to get them from Makoto later, he decided, after they'd had a chance to settle back in.

There was one person who had not seen them off that day. Rin had also left around that time, and while he could have made it out to say goodbye, Haru didn't feel slighted by his absence. He'd already said his goodbyes with Rin weeks before, when they broke up. Ever since Rin had reappeared in Haru's life their relationship had been rocky, but through apologies, tears, and strong desires they had managed to form a slightly more stable bond. It lasted for about a year before their differences began to tear them apart again, but it was a year that neither would change for anything, and the break-up had been a mutual decision. Sometimes Haru missed having Rin beside him but he knew it was best for both of them to be apart now.

When the train reached Iwatobi, Haru rose, grabbing his suitcase from overhead. The rest of his belongings from school had been sent ahead of him and he only had the bare essentials with him in the suitcase. Stepping out onto the platform, Haru looked around at the familiar sight, his eyes seeking out anyone he might recognize.

"Haru-chan!" A loud voice called from somewhere in front of him. Haru looked past the businessman who had just stepped into his line of sight and saw two kids in high school uniforms waving him down. The kids ran up to him and the girl, her hair in pigtails, latched onto his arm. "Haru-chan!" She called again happily.

"Ran?" Haru mumbled, surprised. The girl smiled up at him. Haru noticed the boy, who had not clung to him as affectionately as his sister, and for a moment thought he was looking at a younger Makoto, save for his brown eyes and differently styled hair. "And Ren, too." Upon hearing his name the boy smiled, and Haru thought he saw some pink on his cheeks.

"Welcome home, Haru-chan!" Ran beamed. "Mom told us when you'd be coming so Ren and I came straight over after school to meet you here!" She gave his arm a tight squeeze before leading him away from the train. Ren fell into step beside his sister and the trio walked together to the Tachibana home.

"What time will Onii-chan be coming?" Ran queried as they approached the shrine steps.

"I don't know." Haru responded plainly. "He still had some things to do and he didn't know how long it would take. I don't think he'll be more than a day, though." Ren and Ran both brightened at the thought of having their brother home within the next day. They had hoped he would be coming with Haru but when some things came up he had to call and say he was coming late. Haru had offered to stay with him but Makoto sent him away, saying that he would be fine on his own.

"Haruka-san," Ren started nervously. Haru stopped and gave the boy a curious look. "Um..."

"What's with that?" Haru asked, his voice flat though inside he was a little hurt.

"Well, I thought it would be weird to call an adult '-chan', so..." Ren shrank back a little. He seemed to be on edge for some reason, and even the distant Haru had noticed.

"Then call me Haru." Haru stepped so that he was now between the twins and put his arms over their shoulders. Ren wasn't much shorter than he was now, but Ran was at least a foot shorter, probably more. "I don't want to hear you calling me '-san'. We're practically related."

"Y-yeah..." Ren turned his head away from Haru. Ran looked over at him and giggled, a knowing look in her eyes.

"Well, _I'll_ still call you Haru-chan!" She said cheerily. Haru's lips turned up in the corners and he sighed. He had long ago resigned to being called '-chan' by this family, and while he once resented it, he now thought it was almost cute. Especially the way Ran said it, so happily through her cheerful smile. Even though he'd been back to visit during holidays, it still took Haru by surprise just how much the twins had changed over the years. Ren was growing taller every time he saw him and Ran was beginning to fill out into a lovely young woman. It was especially noticeable when she squeezed Haru's arm against her chest; he was used to being held onto by a kid, but now there were suddenly breasts there.

Haru cleared his mind; if Makoto knew he had just thought about his sister's chest he would kill him. Besides, they had already reached the door which Ran was enthusiastically shoving open with a loud cry of, "Haru-chan's home!" She led the way inside, followed by Haru, with Ren falling in behind them and closing the door.

"Haruka!" Came the voice of the Tachibana siblings' mother. She came swiftly out to greet him, taking his face in her hands and smiling with a motherly love. "You look well; I'm glad. In honor of your homecoming I'm making mackerel for dinner." Haru's eyes sparkled; they really were like family.


	2. Speaking of Boyfriends

_Chapter two is here! _

_I'm really worked up over the new episode coming out today- I keep checking the clock to see how much longer til it's subbed! If it ends up hurting like the last one did, maybe this chapter's fluffiness will help ease the pain a little._

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After a pleasant dinner full of questions about school, life, and Makoto, Haru was dragged away by the twins to watch a horror movie. "We've been saving this to watch with you, Haru-chan!" Ran exclaimed. "It's too scary to watch alone, and Onii-chan is no good with scary stuff, so it's best to watch this now since he's not here, right?" It was true that Makoto didn't handle scary things very well; haunted houses, ghost stories, scary movies- all of these were things Makoto would rather avoid. Haru knew Ren shared similar fears but he had always thought Ran enjoyed such things. He figured it was just an excuse to watch something together and complied willingly with the request. After all, horror movies didn't affect him any more than any other movie.

"Haru!" Ren called. Ran had already turned on the TV and had the title screen up and was waving for Haru to come sit with them. Haru made himself comfortable between the two siblings, both of whom quickly took hold of his arms and leaned against him the instant the movie started. By the time the first brutal murder had occurred on screen Ren was clinging tightly and hiding his face in Haru's shoulder.

"If you're that scared you don't have to watch it." Haru told him. Ren looked back at the screen defiantly.

"I'm fine!" His voice cracked; the mutilated body had just been discovered by the rest of the characters. "I-I want to watch the movie with Haru-cha- I mean, Haru." Haru sighed and glanced over at Ran. She was watching the movie intently, her hold on his arm much more relaxed. As he had suspected, she wasn't really afraid of the movie at all.

By the time the credits rolled Ren had completely given up looking at the movie and had buried his face against Haru. He had squeaked and jumped all through the climax and Haru had to wonder why he put himself through this if he didn't like the movie so much. Ran, on the other hand, had become fully involved and was shouting things at the characters. "Don't open the door!", "Ooh, look at the blood spatter from that one!" and things like that.

When the after the credits scene that hinted at a sequel had ended, Ran scurried off to draw a bath, but not before sneaking around to whisper something frightful into her brother's ear, causing him to jump and cling to Haru again. "That's not funny, Ran!" He cried, releasing the adult. Haru let a smile cross his lips; they may have grown bigger but they were still the same Ren and Ran. "Sorry..." Ren apologized.

"What for?" Haru asked. He hadn't minded that Ren had been so clingy during the movie; he was used to it from when they were kids. Ren used to sit on his lap, and Ran on Makoto's, whenever he was over to play video games or watch a movie. If ever they convinced Makoto to watch a horror movie he was certain to have all three clinging to him by the end.

"Suddenly jumping on you like that." Ren replied sheepishly. Haru just shrugged. Ren fidgeted awkwardly, not making eye contact or attempting to converse. Haru's phone beeped from within his pocket and he pulled it out to read the text.

"Makoto will be coming at one o'clock tomorrow." He informed him. Ren smiled; the topic of his brother was certainly something he would be able to talk about.

"I can't wait!" He exclaimed. "I wish I didn't have to be in school all day so Ran and I could meet him like we did for you." Ren hesitated for a moment, then pulled Haru in for a tight hug. Haru was surprised by the action until Ren started speaking again. "Give this to Onii-chan for me, will you?"

"Right." Haru replied. Ren let go of him, gave him a smile, then pulled him in for another hug. "You know, it's not that long until you can hug him like this yourself..."

"This one is for you, Haru." Ren blushed. "I didn't give you a proper greeting earlier, and that was rude of me. I mean, after all, I've known you for as long as I can remember." He chuckled a bit.

"Heeey!" Ran called, running over to them in her pajamas, her wet hair clinging to her face. "No fair, I wanna hug Haru-chan too!" She immediately grabbed Haru by the waist and squeezed tight, her hair soaking his shirt. When she pulled away she blushed. "Oops, sorry..."

"It's alright, I think I'll bathe next and go to bed." Haru decided, looking down at the wet mark. He decided to concentrate on that rather than how cute Ran was in her night clothes. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight!" The twins replied in unison.

After everyone had cleaned up and gone their separate ways for bed, Haru took a moment to look around him. He was in Makoto's old room, but it seemed Ren had been sleeping in there while Makoto was away. Ren was temporarily placed back with his sister until Haru and Makoto moved out again but some of his things were still left behind among Makoto's. Something tempted Haru to snoop through some of the notebooks and boxes but he resisted, instead opening a box of his own things and retrieving a book to read himself to sleep with.

Ren felt strange to share a room with Ran again but it was Ran who seemed the most irritated by the situation. "Who are you texting all night?" Ren grumbled from his bed. The light on Ran's phone was blinding in the otherwise complete darkness.

"None of your business." Ran replied firmly. She rolled over so that the light wasn't as bright for her brother and continued to click away at the buttons on her phone.

"You got a boyfriend or something I should know about?" Ren teased. He was being somewhat serious but in the past Ran had never hidden her relationships from him so he didn't expect that was it. Not unless it was someone she knew he would disapprove of.

"None of your business." Ran repeated. She clapped her phone shut and turned to face him. "Say, speaking of boyfriends." Her tone turned teasing; Ren knew what was coming and immediately rolled over, pulling his pillow over his head.

"Don't go there, Ran." He warned. He heard the muffled sounds of Ran climbing out of bed and coming over to him. She pulled the pillow away and gave her twin a concerned look.

"It couldn't be that you still..?" She asked. Ren blushed. Without answering, he swiped his pillow back from her and committed to ignoring her until she went back to her own bed and started texting again. It could be and it was; as much as he'd pushed the thought away, as soon as he'd seen Haru again he felt the familiar pangs return. What had started out as a little kid's innocent crush developed and grew with him until he was unable to see anyone else as a potential partner.

It wasn't that he hadn't tried being with someone else; he'd had a few girls show interest in him, and he'd even gone out with a couple of them, but he could never seem to take his mind off of Haru. He didn't even consider himself gay, really. He considered himself interested in Haru and thought he would have fallen for him whether Haru had been a boy or a girl.

Ren's stomach lurched; Ran was the only one who knew about his feelings for Haru and lately she'd been even _worse_ about teasing him. Knowing that he was still fixated on Haru surely meant she'd tease him in that area as well and he feared Haru might find out, which was something Ren wanted to avoid at all costs. He knew Haru considered him to be like a brother and he didn't want to face the heart ache of being told so as a rejection. For now, he just wanted to spend time with Haru and see if he could generate a little interest without having to tell him how he really felt.

After a moment of silence from Ran's side of the room, Ren rolled over to face her general direction. "Ran?" He whispered. He heard her move around and make a grunting sound. "You still awake?"

"What is it?" She yawned irritably.

"The thing about Haru... That's between you and me, got it?" He sounded a little pleading.

"Right." Ran mumbled.

"I'm being serious!" Ren exclaimed. "No teasing, please! Don't say a word!"

"I get it, I get it!" Ran hissed. Then she sighed. "Hey, you really like him that seriously?" Her tone was genuine.

"...Yeah." Ren replied despondently. Ran was quiet for a moment.

"Alright then." She said finally. "I promise not to tease you about it, or tell Haru-chan, or do anything to interfere."

"Thanks." Ren replied, relieved. Now if only his heart would stop racing and his mind would stop going to the feeling of hugging Haru he might be able to get some sleep. With a resigned sigh he let his thoughts wander; Haru's smell, his tight muscles beneath his t-shirt, the warm way he said Ren's name... all of these things sent Ren's head spinning and when he finally did sleep Haru haunted him in his dreams, standing in pure white nothingness, never moving nor looking at him as Ren chased after him, running as hard as he could but never coming closer. When Ren was woken by the alarm he was panting in a cold sweat.

"Are you okay?" Ran asked, standing up to smash down the 'off' button on the alarm clock situated on a small table between the two beds. Ren gulped in air and nodded.

"It was just a dream." He breathed. He and Ran got dressed in silence, their backs to each other, until finally Ran marched past him to the mirror to check her bow and set her pigtails. Ren hung his tie around his neck but didn't tie it yet; he hated the constricting feeling of it and refused to tie it until he absolutely had to.

Haru was sitting at the table with his breakfast already. He had decided to reheat some of the leftover mackerel from the night before rather than trouble his 'other mother' to cook for him. When Ran came out of her room, she gleefully took the seat across from Haru, her blue-green eyes meeting his cobalt ones. "Good morning, Haru-chan!" She smiled.

"Morning." Haru returned, quickly glancing away. Somehow she looked even cuter when her eyes still had traces of sleep in them, not quite fully focused but still reflecting brightly. When she yawned and rubbed her eyes Haru was reminded of when she was little and he would help Makoto put the kids to bed. She always argued that she wasn't sleepy but the instant she was tucked in, her eyes would droop and she'd forfeit to them with a yawn.

Ren came out and sat beside his sister. "Did you sleep well, Haru?" He asked sleepily. Haru nodded; his mouth was full, preventing him from responding audibly or asking the same in return, though he could tell from the dark circles under his eyes that Ren hadn't had a very restful night. Haru swallowed then gestured to Ren's tie.

"Don't you know how to tie it?" He asked. Ran giggled at her brother, who quickly fidgeted with the tie, making a rather poor attempt to fix it up. It was crooked and lazy but Ren was already frustrated with it and he quickly gave up. He hated ties and liked to wait until he was almost at school to tie it, but if Haru wanted it tied, he'd tie it at home, but only because it was Haru saying it.

Ren suddenly found Haru rising from his seat and stepping around the table to stand beside him. He motioned for Ren to stand, which he did, and Haru untied the messy knot, carefully and slowly tying it properly so Ren could see each step. Ren's face flushed; Haru was so close to him, his hands so close to his chest. When Haru pulled the knot tight against his shirt collar, Ren had to suppress a gasp, thinking to himself how he might not hate to wear this stupid thing so much if Haru would tie it for him every morning.

After breakfast the twins left for school and their father for work, their mother getting ready to leave as well to do some shopping. She had the day off today and wanted to leave in enough time to be back for her son's arrival. This meant Haru was the only one left in the house and he didn't quite know what to do with himself. He thought, perhaps, a walk along the beach might pass the time until Makoto arrived and he promptly locked up the house and left. It was too cold out to swim; just a little while longer and he could, but not yet, as he was reminded by a cool breeze wafting up the stairs he was descending. He stopped mid-flight to give attention to a mewling old cat sunning itself on one of the steps. He recognized it as one of the strays he used to feed during high school and scratched under its chin affectionately. He wondered if anyone was feeding it while he and Makoto were away and decided he would stop at the store on his way back to buy some food for it.


	3. Makoto's Arrival

_Sorry this update took a while ^^; School is in full force now so I don't have as much time to devote to writing. Today's episode of Free! was really good. I won't say too much in case anyone hasn't seen it yet but asdfghjkl character development._

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At five of one Haru found himself standing alone on the train platform with Makoto's mom. They could hear the tracks rumble as the train came into sight. After coming to a stop, the doors opened, and Makoto was the first to step out, smiling brightly at the sight of his mother. After he had greeted her and Haru, Haru grabbed him and gave him a tight hug.

"H-Haru..?" Makoto questioned.

"This is from Ren." Haru replied, pulling away.

"Ah, I see." Makoto smiled. "I hope those two haven't been too much trouble for you." He could tell by looking at Haru that he'd been fine, but he knew how much his siblings loved Haru and how much Haru liked having alone time.

Makoto sat and talked with his mother for a long time after they got back. Haru stayed for a little while but eventually he grew tired of it and located the can of cat food he'd bought earlier and went outside to find the old feline. It was close to time for the twins to be returning from school and Haru knew they would bring with them a whole new slew of questions for their brother. He wondered if it might not be a bad time for a bath, after he fed the kitty. Opening the can immediately drew out the happy stray and he patted its head while it greedily chowed down on the tuna flavored offering.

Sure enough, no more than two minutes after climbing into the tub, Haru could hear the excited cries of Ren and Ran as they tackled their brother with hugs and loud "I missed you!"s. He sank his head below the surface to escape the noise; even though he had grown accustomed to living with Makoto, Makoto was generally quiet and it wasn't terribly different from living alone. With such excitable kids around now it was hard to relax. Not that he didn't care for them, he was just easily worn out by them.

Over dinner, Makoto talked about the same things Haru had on his first night back, only with much more detail and depth. His mother, who had heard it all earlier, didn't seem to mind the repetition. When Makoto commented on Haru's habit of making mackerel every day, Haru glanced up from his plate and gave him a look. Makoto knew this look and he apologized for teasing him, but Ran thought it was hysterical and told him through her laughter how they'd had mackerel the night before in celebration of Haru's return. Haru didn't understand why it was so funny, but Makoto chuckled along too, and even Ren laughed a little.

After dinner was over there was a little more conversation before Makoto decided to turn in early, saying his good nights to his siblings and to Haru, who had opted to stay up a little longer with them. They weren't doing anything particularly interesting; Ran was on her phone texting non-stop, and Ren was watching the new episode of some series Haru had never heard of before. When the show was over, the twins left for their room, and Haru flipped through the stations til he found a news program. It seemed there was a line of thunderstorms approaching the area; nothing too serious, but he was glad everyone was inside for the night.

A short while later, a crash of thunder above the Tachibana home caused the windows to rattle and a wide awake Ren to jump from in his bed. The thunder had only been a distant rumble when he and Ran had gone to bed but as it came closer he found it harder to ignore and eventually gave up on sleep entirely. His problem now was trying not to climb into bed with someone else. He knew Ran would be no comfort; his mind kept wandering across the hall to his older brother's room. Makoto had always been welcoming to him when he was smaller and got scared, but now that he was nearly full grown, he was ashamed to think that he was still not over this fear.

"Ren?" Ran called softly from her bed.

"Y-you're awake?" Ren asked shyly.

"That last boom woke me up." Ran replied. "You okay?" Crack! Boom! A bolt of lightning struck ground nearby.

"Not really." Ren cried. He could see Ran getting up from her bed, silhouetted by the flashes of light coming from the window.

"Wanna go see if Onii-chan is awake?" She asked, standing beside his bed. Ren sat up and nodded. He took his pillow and blanket and followed his sister to their older brother's room. Just outside the door, he gulped. What would Haru think? When Ran opened the door, he could see Makoto's shape still asleep in his bed, but Haru, resting on a futon that there was just barely any room for, was awake and had lifted his head to look at them. Without a word he sighed and waved them over.

"Haru-chan," Ran whispered. "Ren's afraid of the storm."

"Sh-shut up, Ran!" Ren whispered back furiously.

"What? It's true!" Ran retorted. Ren jabbed her with an elbow and she jabbed him right back. "Haru-chan, can we sleep in here tonight?"

"Both of you?" Haru asked. Assessing the space, there wasn't enough room for three of them to squeeze onto the one futon. "Are you scared, too, Ran?"

"No!" Ran insisted. "I just don't want to be left out is all."

"What's going on?" Makoto mumbled from his bed. "Ran? Ren?"

"Onii-chan, can we sleep in here?" Ran asked Makoto.

"I suppose..." Makoto yawned. "If you can find room."

Ran climbed over Makoto, situating herself between him and the wall, leaving Ren with Haru. As Ren squeezed in next to Haru he was grateful for the darkness concealing his reddened cheeks; Ran had gone to Makoto on purpose, he knew it. He just wasn't sure if she was teasing him or trying to help. Either way, he wasn't thinking about the storm anymore, even as it raged louder than ever above them. All he could think about was his proximity to Haru and how Haru had chosen to lay facing him, rather than away from him.

When the twins had opened the door Haru had known what was wrong. He'd heard the thunder getting louder as he got ready for bed and flashed back to a night during high school when he had been over to play video games with Makoto and it had started to thunder. They had to shut the electronics off and unplug them so Haru was just going to go home, but Ren had grabbed tight to his wrist, crying, insisting that he wait out the storm there. He was so worried about Haru going out in the lightning that he refused to let him leave while it was still thundering and Haru ended up falling asleep on the couch with both twins and Makoto. With this memory fresh in his mind Haru drifted off to sleep.

When Haru woke, Ren was sleeping peacefully beside him, though it appeared Makoto and Ran had already woken up and left. Remembering that it was a weekend and that Ren hadn't slept well the night before last, Haru decided to let him sleep a while longer. Moving slowly, Haru reached for a piece of paper and a pencil and decided to pass the time by sketching the sleeping teen. He thought he might wake him if he were to get up and leave and he wasn't in any particular hurry to do anything so he stayed in bed and drew, capturing perfectly the way Ren's hair fell across his forehead, the slight parting of his lips, even down to the curvature of the pillow he was sleeping on.

Just as Haru was about to flip the paper over and start drawing on the other side, the door opened and Ran poked her head in. "Oh, you're awake." She whispered. "Is he still sleeping?" She gestured to her brother. "It's getting kinda late."

"Is it?" Haru asked. He couldn't see the clock from where he was but the sunlight was looking pretty strong through the curtains now.

"Why don't you wake up Sleeping Beauty over there and come get breakfast?" Ran suggested. "Onii-chan said he'd take us all to get ice cream later." Haru nodded at her and she left, leaving the door open so Haru could smell the potent aroma of a home cooked breakfast. His stomach growled beneath the blanket and he gently shook Ren to wake him.

"Ren." He said in a normal tone.

"Mm..?" Ren mumbled, not yet conscious. His eyes slowly began to blink awake and he jumped, startled to find Haru before him, not remembering yet how he had gotten there. Then he recalled the storm and how Ran had left him with Haru and he blushed. "Sorry!" He apologized. "Were you waiting for me to wake up?" Haru shrugged. Ren noticed the drawing and his eyes went wide. "You've been awake long enough to draw that?!" He exclaimed. "Why didn't you wake me? Or go get breakfast or something?"

"It was no big deal." Haru replied coolly. Ren stared at his graphite likeness in awe. "You can have it if you want." Haru offered.

"Really?" Ren asked. He blushed. Haru had stayed with him while he slept and even drawn his face in perfect likeness. He felt honored to have Haru paying so much attention to him, and _only_ to him. Not him and his sister, not him and Makoto, but just _him_. "Thank you so much!" Jumping up off the futon, he ran out to show it off to his family, allowing Haru privacy to get dressed.

Ren stuck his tongue out at his school uniform as he pulled casual clothes from his dresser. "No ties today!" He exclaimed to himself joyfully. Today was a day off from school and he intended spend it with his big brother. Makoto had offered up his day to his younger siblings so that they could catch up with each other and have some time together before he had to find a job and an apartment. Haru was going to hang out with them all, too, before he had to go back to the real world and do the same. Ren wished they didn't have to leave; he liked having the house so full of loved ones.

After lunch Makoto made good on his promise and took the group of them- Ren, Ran, and Haru- out for ice cream. Rather than go to the convenience store where they usually bought ice cream, he thought it would be a nice treat to go to a real ice cream shop, something Ren hadn't done in a long time. They took the train to get there; the reason they usually went to the convenience store was because there were no ice cream parlors in Iwatobi. Ren and Ran bounced excitedly on either side of Makoto as they rode the train. Haru was seated beside Ran, though she had drawn so close to her brother that there was considerable space between them.

"What flavor are you gonna get?" She asked Makoto.

"Ah, well, I have to see what they have before I decide." Makoto replied. He was smiling at his sister's enthusiasm.

"What about Haru?" Ren followed up, leaning forward so he could see past his siblings.

"We'll see." Haru shrugged. He wasn't feeling particular today.

When they reached the ice cream shop there was a big sign advertising the day's flavors. The four of them stood before it, reading aloud the flavors that sounded best to them, before they finally decided on what they were each getting. Even after receiving their orders they ended up passing their cups around the picnic table so everyone could taste each kind. It was a warmer day than it had been recently and the coldness of the treats felt good as they sat under the sun, the umbrella on their table closed. Ren chuckled when Ran stole another spoonful of ice cream from Haru; she usually took his food but he intentionally picked a flavor he knew she wouldn't like. Haru then took some of Makoto's ice cream and suddenly everyone was eating from whatever cup they wanted. When it was all gone, they were all smiling and laughing, even Haru, who had a melting dribble of ice cream on his nose courtesy of Ran.

They spent some time checking out various stores while they were out. At one point, Ren hadn't minded when his sister dragged them all into a frilly store full of dresses and girly things, but he quickly changed his mind and ran for the door when she started holding lacy dresses up to him, teasing him about how good he'd look and encouraging him to try them on. Makoto went after him to keep him company while Haru stayed with Ran and helped her carry the things she wanted to try on.

"Hey, Haru-chan." Ran started softly, her eyes on the storefront window making sure her brothers were still outside. Haru turned his attention from the rack of dresses he'd absent-mindedly been staring at and looked to Ran. Her eyes met his sheepishly. "I want to share a secret with you." She grasped his free hand earnestly, holding it in both of hers. "But you can't tell my brothers! Promise me!"

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_Guh, sorry, I keep flipping between Haru's POV and Ren's POV. Is this annoying or does it work for you guys? I try to at least have it make sense when it changes._


	4. I Won't Tell

_Finally got this chapter done. Got kinda sleepy towards the end so sorry if the quality slips. Now that I'm getting used to my weekly homework schedule I should be able to find more time to work on this, though!_

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Outside of the shop Ren scuffed his shoe against the sidewalk. "Can you believe her?" He asked. "Trying to get me into a dress. Yeah, right!"

"She was only teasing." Makoto soothed. Ren sighed. Makoto watched him sulk in silence for a few minutes before speaking up. "Is something troubling you?"

"Huh?" Ren looked up to meet Makoto's worried green eyes. "Why do you ask that?"

"You look a little distracted." Makoto took his hand from his pocket and ruffled Ren's hair. "Are you having some kind of girl trouble I should know about?" He teased. Ren's face turned red and he looked away. It wasn't _girl_ trouble. When Ran had suggested he try on a dress, he'd been too embarrassed to look at Haru, but he almost wondered if he would be cute to Haru if he was a girl.

"It's not that." Ren finally replied. Makoto knew his brother would share his worries when he was ready so he didn't press the issue any further, instead choosing to watch as people came and went in the shop across from them. It was another clothing store but with a different kind of style than the one they were at now. Come to think of it, that store seemed more Ran's style than the frilly store she had brought them to.

Makoto was beginning to wonder if his sister's tastes were changing when Ren slumped his shoulders forward beside him and seemed to be fighting back tears. "Ren..?"

"Onii-chan," Ren's voice cracked. He fought like hell to keep the tears from forming as a sudden wave of hopelessness wafted over him. "Would it be weird if I fell for someone... older than me?"

"Huh?" Makoto rubbed the back of his neck. Hadn't Ren said it wasn't girl trouble? Maybe he meant woman trouble. "How much older?"

"About your age." Ren replied. He considered telling Makoto everything and asking for his help. Would he be able to keep it secret from Haru, though? After all, they were best friends. But Ren was his brother. He wouldn't tell on his brother, would he?

"That is a little old," Makoto replied carefully. "But people have fallen in love with bigger age gaps than that and turned out fine. If you really care for each other... But you are so young still." He considered his words and tried to give an honest response without hurting Ren but the truth was, he did think it would be a little weird for a high school freshman to fall for a college graduate.

"Onii-chan," Ren interrupted Makoto's thoughts. "If I asked you to keep something secret, even secret from Mom, Dad, and Haru, would you?"

"As long as you're not in danger." Makoto answered honestly. "If it's something serious, I'm not going to stand by and watch you get hurt-"

"It's not like that!" Ren assured him. The urge to cry had subsided and now he only had to fight against the lump in his throat. "Just... promise me you won't tell anyone? Ran knows, but no one else."

"Pinky promise." Makoto replied, raising his hand with his little finger sticking out. Ren hooked his pinky with Makoto's and they shook on it. Even if it was a childish way of promising he knew Makoto would never break it.

"It's really hard to say this." Ren admitted nervously. He thought he might choke before he could get the words out. "But it's really bothering me. I can't get these thoughts out of my head. I need to be able to talk to someone about it, someone who won't tease me for it." Makoto waited anxiously for Ren to continue. "Onii-chan, I- I think I'm in love..." He took a deep breath and looked around to make sure no one else was around them. "I think I'm in love with Haru."

Makoto stared blankly before he was able to process this new information. He knew of the two kids, Ren had usually been the one to cling to Haru when they were small, and he knew Ren admired Haru, but to hear him say he was in love with him was rather surprising. He had no idea if Haru did or ever would share these feelings, but he supposed if that happened he would have no objections. Still, his younger brother and his best friend?

"Onii-chan..?" Ren prompted cautiously. Makoto shook himself from his thoughts.

"You really feel that way?" He asked gently.

Ren nodded. "Yeah. I've liked him since I was little but now that he's back, I realize it's more than just 'liking' him."

"And you say Ran knows about this?"

"Mhm." Ren gritted his teeth. "She's known for years, and she promised not to tease me about it, but I'm not so sure I believe her after last night!"

"Eh? What about last night?" Makoto questioned. He thought back to when the twins had come into his room during the storm but nothing about it had seemed to indicate teasing. Of course, he hadn't woken up right away when they came in, either, so he may have missed something.

"When she climbed into your bed and left me with Haru," Ren clenched his fists. She was always manipulating him and teasing him. He was sick of it! "She did that on purpose, I know it."

"I'm sure she did." Makoto agreed. "Wouldn't it have been more awkward for Haru to have Ran sleep beside him?"

"What do you mean?" Ren asked.

"Ran is a grown girl now." Makoto continued. "Maybe you haven't noticed it since you see her every day, but every time I come home I notice immediately just how much the both of you have grown. Wouldn't it make more sense for Ran to come sleep by me, since I'm her brother?"

"I..." Ren fumbled. "I suppose." He released his fists in defeat. Makoto grasped his shoulder affectionately.

"Are you ever going to tell Haru how you feel?"

"How can I?" Ren muttered. "What are the odds he'll like me the same way? And if he doesn't, things between us will always be awkward."

"Hmm." Makoto thought about what Ren said. "If you really want to try to win Haru-chan's heart, maybe you should try to spend some one-on-one time with him."

"Wait- you mean, you're not going to object?" Ren asked in awe.

"I know he's a good person, for my little brother or anyone else." Makoto smiled. "He _is_ my best friend after all."

* * *

Haru stood before Ran, who held his hand tightly between hers. He felt his heart beat just a little faster and he nodded in response to her plea. "I won't tell." Ran let go of him and fidgeted for a moment. Haru wasn't used to seeing Ran so serious.

"I feel like I can trust you to tell you this." She said softly. "So please, don't freak out." Haru looked her in the eye and nodded again. What was she so worried about? And why couldn't Makoto or Ren know? "You see, I'm kind of seeing someone right now." Haru felt time freeze for a moment. He wasn't sure why those words struck him. After all, she was in high school now, it wasn't unusual for a girl her age to be dating. Somehow, he felt a little sad, though. He knew there must be more she was trying to tell him by this so he waited calmly for her to go on. "The reason I haven't told anyone is cause this person I'm seeing..." Ran glanced out the window again before leaning in and whispering to Haru, "Is a girl."

Haru's eyes went wide for a second before he straightened up. He didn't want Ran, who was trusting him with this sensitive information, to see his shock. It wasn't that he disapproved; rather, he had never thought of Ran, or Ren for that matter, dating before, much less thought of their possible sexualities. Ran dug her phone out of her purse and brought up a picture to show Haru.

"This is her." She said happily. "Isn't she cute?" Haru blinked at the picture. The girl was small in every way; short, thin, everything about her was tiny. Ran had described her best... she was very much 'cute'.

"Ran," Haru watched the way she smiled at the picture before putting her phone away. Even though she smiled with her mouth, her eyes seemed to be masking some kind of sadness. "I'm sure Makoto won't judge you for dating a girl."

"Well that's..." Ran turned her attention away to mindlessly run her fingers along the lace of one of the dresses beside her. "It's not Onii-chan I'm worried about so much."

"Ren?" Haru asked. Ran nodded.

"It might not seem like it but Ren has dated before." Ran sounded as though she were teasing the boy even in his absence. "Back in middle school, he and my Momoka-chan actually went out for a little while. She was his first girlfriend. Even though it didn't last very long, when we moved up to high school, he seemed pretty relieved not to be in the same class as her."

"So you think Ren would be mad that you're dating his ex-girlfriend?" Haru asked, trying to consider the situation.

"Not really mad." Ran replied. "But it might be a little... weird, y'know? He doesn't even know she's gay. Or that I'm bi, for that matter. And if I tell Onii-chan about it he might bring it up in front of Ren and then I'll have to tell him." Haru felt something inside him relax at the word 'bi'. Not that it mattered. He was still considerably older than her, they were practically family, and she was already in a relationship. He didn't even know why he was thinking about it.

The bell above the shop door jingled and a slightly nervous, slightly irritated Ren came over to the two, followed closely by Makoto. "Geez Ran what's taking you so long?" He demanded.

"Nothing!" Ran winked. "I was just having a little chat with Haru-chan, that's all." Ren's cheeks took on a light pink color.

"About what..?" He asked suspiciously. Ran smiled, took the clothes Haru was holding for her, and hid herself in the changing room. "Hey!" Ren called after her, his face now a darker shade.

"I'm sure it's fine." Makoto smiled at his younger brother. Ren sighed and composed himself again.

The remainder of the afternoon passed peacefully. Ran made a couple of purchases in the frilly store and Haru bought a new shirt in one of the other shops. The group each filled their own bags of candy and then excitedly picked up a new DVD to watch together while they munched their sweets later. This one was not a horror film, though Ran had pitched a couple of frightening titles. Makoto and Ren had both adamantly rejected them immediately, however, and she conceded to an acclaimed action film instead.

While everyone seemed happy enough to be out together, the ride back to Iwatobi fell strangely silent, even to the point of unnerving Haru. Ren had seated himself beside Makoto as he had on the way out, but Ran had chosen to sit across the car from all of them, tapping away at her cellphone. Haru knew who she was texting and it made sense to him why she was sitting away from them to do it, but he couldn't help noticing the flicker of surprise and hurt that had manifested itself in Makoto's eyes when she ignored the space he'd made beside himself for her. It didn't help that Ren was also sitting in complete silence; Haru tried to get a look at him to see if he was just tired, but his head was turned away.

When Haru managed to catch Ran's eye while she waited for her partner to respond, he gestured with a slight nod of his head for her to come sit between himself and Makoto. Ran's gaze traveled to her older brother and she felt a rush of guilt wash over her as he smiled back. Sending out another quick text, Ran tucked her phone away and stepped across the aisle to sit with her brother. "Sorry, that was rude of me!" She apologized. "You brought us all out here to spend time together."

"It's fine." Makoto replied, though Haru could see a much more relaxed expression on his face now that Ran was beside him. "Is it your boyfriend?" He asked, referring to her frequent texting.

"B-boyfriend?" Ran repeated. She turned around and glanced nervously at Haru, who gave her a nod of encouragement. Makoto tilted his head to the side in confusion. "Onii-chan, are you going to be all protective over me?"

"Should I be?" Makoto asked suspiciously, glancing past Ran to Haru, who blushed at the silent accusation and looked away. Haru could tell Makoto was getting the wrong idea but he wasn't about to say anything. He'd let Ran sort it out. Rather, he _hoped_ Ran would sort it out so he wouldn't have to say anything.

"Ran's had boyfriends before." Ren piped up. "If she has another one now it probably won't last, just like with the others."

"Hey!" Ran snapped back. "Not like your relationships have been any better!"

"Hey, hey," Makoto raised his hands between the two, who had begun to lean over him to glare at each other. "There's no reason to fight." Ran settled back into her seat, turning away from her brothers to face Haru.

"Ren is such a brat." She mumbled to herself. "Haru-chan, now do you see what I was saying before?"

"You _were_ talking about me to Haru!" Ren exclaimed accusingly. Makoto was very glad they were the only passengers in the car; he would surely be embarrassed by his siblings' behavior.

"Don't get your shorts in a twist." Ran spat over her shoulder.

"Why you-!"

"_Enough_." Haru spoke the word loud enough to be heard over the twins' bickering. "We're almost at our stop. It would upset your mother to hear you fighting like this." For the first time Haru was able to see Ren's face. His eyes began to spill over with tears as he slid back into his seat, turning once again to hide himself from Haru's view. Makoto tried to speak something comforting to him but Ren brushed him off. Ran moved back across the aisle and sat pouting, returning to her text messages. Haru sighed. He would have to straighten things out with Makoto himself later. He only hoped he could explain the situation well enough while still keeping Ran's secret. He thought, perhaps, she just might tell Makoto after things had cooled down, but he didn't want to say anything to him about it until she had spoken to him herself. Looking at his friend, Haru could see that all the joy from earlier was gone, replaced with sadness and confusion.


	5. Misunderstanding

_I don't really have much to say before this one. Except that I'm glad I caught y'all (or some of y'all anyway) off guard with that last chapter... Ran having a girlfriend was one of my earliest ideas for the fic, along with something else that hasn't happened yet ;) _

* * *

The group of tense travelers returned home, dropping their shopping bags on the floor as they changed into their slippers. The answering machine blinked and Makoto played it, his mother's voice coming through to apologize, saying that she was staying late at work and giving them permission to cook or order dinner, whichever they preferred. Ran grabbed her things and shut herself in her room and Ren slouched on the couch to watch something on the TV. Haru offered to cook for everyone, hoping that maybe if they could all sit down together and talk, they could clear the air and be happy again. Makoto gave his approval before excusing himself to rest in his room. Haru took up a knife and cutting board and set to work, expertly preparing vegetables and meat, and surprisingly, not mackerel.

"Haru?" Ren asked cautiously, coming into the kitchen for a glass of water. Haru paused and turned to face him. "It was probably just something silly that Ran's teasing me with, but what were you guys talking about after Makoto and I left?"

Haru thought for a moment. "I can't tell you." He replied. There was nothing about the conversation he could talk about, though he would if he could, if only to assure the young man that it wasn't worth worrying over.

"Why not?" Ren pressed, the glass in his hand shaking. He appeared nervous, though Haru didn't understand why. Could Ren be hiding something that only Ran knew about? And why was he concerned about Ran telling? Sure, Ran liked to tease her brother, but she wouldn't blackmail him.

"I promised." Was Haru's response.

"Did it have anything to do with me?"

"..." Haru couldn't answer that, either. While it was a secret about Ran, it did concern Ren, and therefore to answer it would be to give some kind of hint. So Haru kept silent, waiting for Ren to make the next move.

"She told you, didn't she?" Ren asked, trembling, his free hand clenched in a fist. "For her to hide it from me, she either told you or..." Ren's body froze. He thought back to the fight on the train and the way Ran had looked to Haru when Makoto questioned her about having a boyfriend. His eyes met Haru's reluctantly as he asked, "Are you and my sister..?"

"What? N-no!" Haru exclaimed rather uncharacteristically. His cheeks took on a slight pink color and he turned back to his vegetables. Ren noticed his strong reaction but pretended to ignore that for the time being. He would have plenty of time to lament over its meaning later.

"So then she did tell you about me?" It was clear to Haru that Ren wasn't about to drop the subject.

"I promised I wouldn't talk about it." Haru didn't look up from his work. He wished Ren would ask his sister about this instead.

"Haru, please," Ren leaned against the counter and forced himself into Haru's sight. "I'm begging you, I need to know what she said about me!"

"_I can't tell you_." Haru insisted forcefully.

"_Please!" _Ren cried. Haru ignored him. Ren stepped back and growled in frustration. "Ran, you told him didn't you?!" Ren shouted to the floor as he grabbed at his head in despair.

"I didn't tell him your stupid secret!" Ran cried from behind the two men. Haru and Ren turned to face her. Ren stared at her, mouth agape. "When I make a promise I keep it!" Tears were streaming down the young girl's cheeks. She looked as though she'd already been crying. Makoto came out from his room at the sound of all the raised voices and Ran ran back to her room, slamming the door and locking it behind her.

"What's going on?" Makoto asked drowsily. Haru was too stunned to answer him and Ren was beginning to bawl. Ren wanted to grab Makoto and run outside with him, to explain his behavior and cry it out, but he was frozen to the spot. He had begged Haru to tell him what Ran said, begged him to break his promise, and it wasn't about the one thing he was concerned about anyway.

"Makoto," Haru called over Ren's crying. "You should check on Ran." Makoto nodded and went over to the twins' room, rapping lightly on the door. Haru looked at Ren, who was shaking as he stood sobbing. Taking the spilling glass from him and setting it safely on the counter, Haru pulled Ren into an embrace, allowing him to cry into his shoulder.

"I-I'm sorry, Haru-chan." Ren's muffled apology made Haru feel a little guilty. He had slipped back into calling him -chan. Whatever it was he was keeping secret seemed to be causing him a lot of pain. Haru desperately wanted to tell Ren what was going on with Ran, to ease his mind and hopefully his suffering, but he couldn't break his promise.

"It's not worth crying over." Haru said calmly. Ren let out one last sob before he stopped shaking, but he remained in Haru's embrace, too embarrassed to look him in the eye and too comfortable to let go. He sniffled and squeezed Haru tighter, fighting back another round of tears. Ran's secret suddenly seemed unimportant to him. His behavior had been unwarranted and childish and Ren was just glad that Haru was so forgiving about it.

"Ran won't answer me." Makoto sighed, returning to the kitchen. Upon seeing the other two he relaxed a little. "Are you okay now, Ren?" Ren finally stepped back from Haru and nodded to his brother, wiping his eyes on his sleeve. "What happened?" Makoto asked Haru.

"It was a misunderstanding." Haru replied. He handed Ren his glass of water and sent him out of the kitchen to recompose himself. Makoto stood by and watched as Haru went back to preparing dinner. He hoped Ran would come out to eat but he wasn't certain she would. It was unusual for her to ignore Makoto like that. She used to be very open with her older brother.

A short while later, Haru announced that dinner was ready, although a little late, and Makoto went to try and rouse Ran out of hiding. "Ran?" He called through the door. "Dinner's ready. Are you coming out?" Once again his attempts were ignored. Haru came down the hall to see how things were going but Makoto just shook his head at him. "No good."

"Aren't you hungry?" Haru tried his luck calling through the door. "Ran, are you awake?"

"Haru-chan..?" Came the muffled response. The two men waited and listened as Ran came to the door and unlocked it, opening it just a crack.

"I made dinner." Haru informed her. He could see that her eyes were still red and swollen, though it appeared the tears had stopped for now.

"Haru-chan, can I talk to you?" Ran rasped, her voice worn out from crying. Haru exchanged glances with Makoto before going into the room. Ran closed and locked the door behind him, much to Makoto's displeasure. The room was mostly dark except for a small desk lamp and it appeared from the pile of tissues and the dishevelment of her bedding that Ran had been crying since they got back. Ran sat down on her bed and Haru sat across from her on Ren's.

"What happened?" Haru asked. Ran sighed deeply before answering.

"Things with Momoka-chan aren't so good right now." She pulled a fresh tissue from its box and crumpled it in her hand. Haru waited for her to elaborate, watching her sigh again. She was staring at the floor, either unable or unwilling to make eye contact. "She was graded kind of poorly recently so her parents took her phone away this afternoon, and they decided to snoop through her messages. They found out about me and read our conversations and they think our relationship is what's causing her grades to slip, so they want us to break up. And on top of that, her mother is still convinced this 'dating girls thing' is just a phase." Ran paused and Haru could just make out her lip quivering. "I don't wanna break up with Momoka-chan." She cried, fresh tears streaking her cheeks.

"Ran," Haru lowered his head to her level and tried to get her to look at him. "I think you should tell Makoto what's going on." Ran met Haru's eyes and nodded reluctantly. She was so upset she almost didn't care even if Ren found out, but she was so tired from crying she didn't feel like explaining everything. However, she also felt bad about leaving her older brother in the dark, and she knew she could trust him, so she prepared herself to face him.

Haru gave Ran a quick hug before going to fetch Makoto. He was sure Makoto would be able to offer better solace than he could and he knew not being in on it must be driving Makoto up a wall, not that he'd ever let on. "Oh, Haru." Makoto looked up from the table where he had been picking at his dinner when Haru came in. "Is everything okay?"

"Ran wants to see you." Haru replied. He was about to sit at the table to get his dinner and give the two their privacy when Ran poked her head out of her room and called for him to come with Makoto. Ren watched silently as the two left him there alone and he pushed his plate away, suddenly not feeling hungry anymore despite the tantalizing aroma of Haru's cooking.

"What's going on?" Makoto asked, ready to finally be in on the big secret. Ran locked the door again, though she didn't expect Ren would try anything. She drew closer to Haru, using his presence as encouragement and taking comfort from his calmness.

"I've been keeping something secret for a while now." Ran began. "Mom and Dad don't know, and neither does Ren. The only one who knows is Haru, and I only told him today." Makoto gave Haru a worried look. Haru's expression was emotionless, just as it often was. At least now he knew Haru wasn't dating Ran, as he had begun to suspect earlier. Though the way emotions were flying this evening he wondered if he would prefer that had been it. "See, I've been in a relationship with someone for a little while now, but I was afraid to tell anyone about it. I especially didn't want Ren to find out cause, well, I'm kind of dating an ex of his."

"Ren's had a boyfriend?" Makoto asked, a bit surprised.

"Not... exactly." Ran took hold of Haru's hand. "I'm seeing his ex-_girl_friend." Ran and Haru watched for it to click.

"Oh!" Makoto exclaimed. "That's what it is!" He let out a sigh of relief. "Honestly, I was almost afraid you were going to tell me you were pregnant or something!" Ran released Haru's hand and smacked the back of it against Makoto's chest.

"Hey!" She objected. "I happen to be a marriageable young lady!" Makoto tried not to smile.

"Sorry, sorry, but with all the crying and secrecy I was expecting it to be worse."

"About the crying." Ran's mood shifted again. "The reason I'm so upset today is because of what Momoka-chan was telling me on the train home. Her parents want us to break up."

"Oh," Makoto's lightheartedness faded. "Are they against same-sex dating?"

"Her mother is." Ran replied. "I just... I don't know what to do, and neither does she." Ran crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't think we should break up, but Momoka-chan is actually considering it."

"Is that so?" Makoto could see tears and he pulled his sister into a hug. He didn't have any advice to offer, but he wanted her to know he would support her no matter what."Whatever happens, I'll be here for you. Thank you for trusting me with this." Ran unfolded her arms and clung tightly to Makoto.

"Onii-chan!" She cried. "I'm glad I told you. Whatever happens, having Onii-chan and Haru-chan here will definitely make it okay!"

"Just remember, Makoto." Haru spoke up. Makoto looked at him over his sister's head. "Ren can't know."

"That's right." Ran added, "if he found out I was dating his first girlfriend it'd hurt his self-esteem pretty badly."

"I understand." Makoto released Ran and wiped a tear from her eye. "Now, why don't we all go eat dinner together? I'm sure Ren is feeling pretty lonely out there by himself." Ran took hold of her brother's hand and walked with him and Haru back to the table, where Ren was spacing out staring at the now-cold supper. Though the meal went silently, the tension from before had passed, and Haru hoped that with rest, everyone would be back to their usual selves in the morning.


	6. It's Not Like I'm in Love

_Oh man this took a lot longer than I was expecting. Of course as soon as I think I have a handle on my homework schedule I get extra work thrown at me -_-; So sorry for the wait._

* * *

By Monday morning when the twins left for school, goodbyes being thrown hastily over their shoulders as they dashed out the door together, all seemed well between them once more. Haru and Makoto smiled after them, unsure if their returned sentiments were heard. They had been placed on standby by Ran for after school; she would be talking to her girlfriend and they needed to be ready to be her support if things went unfavorably. Now that Haru and Makoto had the house to themselves, Makoto sighed and turned to Haru. "You ready?"

"Yeah." Haru followed Makoto to his room, where they retrieved their laptops. They'd had some fun with the twins over the weekend but now it was time to get serious and start looking for work. Their hope was that they could find jobs close to home and close to each other so that they could share an apartment and still visit Makoto's family sometimes.

After a couple of hours of refining resumes and scouring job listings both men were becoming restless. "Let's take a break." Makoto suggested in his usual gentle-yet-cheerful manner, setting his laptop off to the side and stretching. Haru finished ticking boxes on the application he was working on and led the way to the kitchen. "I hope it doesn't take long to find something." Makoto smiled.

"Yeah." Haru agreed. They took out drinks from the fridge and stood quietly for a while. Haru didn't notice that Makoto was watching him. He was lost in his thoughts; while he should have been focusing on his career and independence, he found his mind wandering back to the last few days. When he had been riding the train back from school only a few short days ago he hadn't expected so much excitement and drama to be waiting for him.

"Hey, Haru," Makoto unknowingly interrupted his sister as her words from the night before played over again in Haru's mind. Haru brought his eyes up to meet Makoto's in acknowledgment. "Before Ran told me what was really going on, I was starting to get some pretty crazy ideas in my head."

"Is that so?" Haru asked, suspicious of where the conversation was going.

"Yeah." Makoto chuckled. "For a while there I almost thought you two had started dating!" Haru clenched his jaw and pretended to be casual. He had already suspected that Makoto was thinking that and he knew he was going for another angle now. He didn't want to give him any indication that he was getting to him, however, so he tried to ignore him. "I wouldn't mind, you know." Makoto followed up. "If you wanted to date one of my siblings." Haru felt his face get hot and he turned his head away. He could feel Makoto's eyes on him, watching, waiting expectantly for some confession.

"You do remember that Ran is already in a relationship, don't you?" Haru reminded him irritably.

"Ren is still single." Makoto replied casually.

"Why would I date Ren?" Haru asked, dropping his guard.

"So you would date Ran if she was available?" Makoto pressed.

"Don't assume things!" Haru snapped. "How does one thing lead to the other?"

"When I said 'one of my siblings', you responded specifically about Ran." Makoto answered, a bit flustered at Haru's outburst. Haru froze; he'd been caught. He knew there wasn't much he could hide from Makoto but he had hoped that his little crush would be able to stay hidden. He thought that maybe, if he didn't speak of it out loud, it would go away on its own and leave him in peace. But now he had no excuse to hide it anymore.

"It's no big deal." Haru grumbled. "It's not like I'm in love with her." Makoto nodded understandingly. "Even if things go badly with her girlfriend today I don't want you trying to push us together or anything, got it?"

"I understand." Makoto replied. "I won't interfere." The two finished their drinks in silence and returned to their work. Neither spoke again until lunch, and even then the conversation was short and formal. Haru found the application process even more difficult to focus on now that he'd all but admitted everything to Makoto. He wished he could draw a bath for himself and soak until his head was cleared but he knew he should be putting in as much effort as he could to the task at hand so he refrained.

When it was later in the afternoon Ren returned home alone. Haru and Makoto greeted him and spent some time asking about his day. They wouldn't admit it but they were using his arrival as an excuse to take a break from their work. Ren could tell but he didn't mind. His day had been average but he exaggerated a little here and there in his recounting for their sake. When he spoke of Ran it was clear that while she had told him to go on ahead, she hadn't told him what she was up to.

"I don't know what the big secret is," Ren shrugged. "But if I had to guess, I'd say she has a boyfriend. And since she won't tell me, I'm guessing he's someone I know." Haru and Makoto exchanged a glance; he wasn't far off, but they couldn't tell him that.

"What about you, Ren?" Haru asked, taking the conversation away from Ran's secret.

"What about me?" Ren smiled nervously. "Are you asking if I'm single?"

"Yes." Haru answered bluntly. Ren flushed and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Y-yeah, I'm single." He replied. He looked to his brother for some kind of clue but Makoto just gave a slight shrug.

"Is there someone you like?" Haru pressed further. His eyes were focused on the teen, who sat across from him at the table where they were chatting. Ren nodded shyly, breaking eye contact to stare at his hands in his lap. Makoto watched nervously, ready to interject if Haru continued this line of questioning. "Is she a good girl?"

"Erm, well..." Ren fumbled. If his face could feel any hotter he thought it would have to be from spontaneously combusting. He almost would rather that happen than answer any more of these questions. Fortunately for him, the front door opened and Haru was distracted by Ran's return. Haru and Makoto both watched for her to appear, and when she did, it was difficult for them to tell how her talk had gone. She was not happy and excited nor did she appear to have been crying.

"Hello, everyone." She greeted, a brief, halfhearted smile flashing across her face before she faded back to neutrality. She went straight for her bedroom and Makoto looked at Haru as if to ask him what to do. Haru's eyes were fixated on the place Ran had disappeared from his vision and Makoto seemed to understand. Excusing himself, he went after her, and Haru knew that he would be called if he was needed. He didn't want to rush to her side and give Makoto a stronger impression than he already had of his feelings for her.

"Even though I'm trying to ignore it, it still hurts that something is going on and no one will tell me about it." Ren confessed. Haru turned his attention back to the brown-haired twin and noticed a marked change in his attitude; he was no longer lightheartedly flustered over crushes. His eyes were downcast and his mouth frowned. "How come she can tell you guys but she can't tell me? I'm her brother, too, you know! She used to trust me with things."

"Have you asked her about it?"

"I wanted to," Ren sighed. "But she never gave me a chance to."

"I see." Haru sighed. When he had the opportunity, he thought he might suggest that Ran go ahead and tell Ren. Now that he wasn't thinking just about himself, he appeared quite concerned about his sister, and Haru could tell that not knowing was hurting him more than knowing likely would.

"Hey, Haru?"

"Hm?"

"Are you in love with Ran?" The irritation manifesting on Haru's face caused Ren to shift nervously.

"Why does everyone keep asking me that today?" Haru grumbled. "I'm not in love with her."

"Really?" Ren wanted to feel relieved but somehow he didn't believe him. "I kind of thought-"

"You thought wrong." Haru snapped. He rose from the table and went to check on Makoto and Ran. Ren sighed and buried his head in his arms. Once again, he was alone. Everyone else was focusing on Ran, and he still didn't know what was wrong with her.

When Haru knocked on the door and entered the room, he was relieved to see that Ran was not crying, but she certainly wasn't happy, and Makoto had a concerned look on his face. "What happened?" He asked.

"Momoka-chan and I talked it over." Ran replied softly. Her voice and demeanor were quite subdued; she sat hunched over on her bed with one arm reaching across her stomach to grab the other. "She decided that the best thing to do would be to take a break. Let her get her grades back up and let her parents calm down."

"Are you okay with this?" Haru moved beside Makoto and sat on the edge of Ren's bed. Ran shook her head and shrugged.

"I kind of have to be." She said. "I can't make her stay with me, and she's probably making the right decision, but it hurts right now. I don't know how long it's going to take for things to be better again. I don't know if she'll actually try to get back together with me after things cool down."

"Why do you say that?" Haru asked.

"Momoka-chan isn't the strongest-willed person." Ran replied. "If her mother says it enough, she probably will convince herself that dating girls is wrong and that she's better off not knowing me anymore. Her father's not so bad, and he may step in and stop things from getting that far, but when push comes to shove, Momoka-chan can't lie and wouldn't have the backbone to stand up to her mother and tell her she's going to keep dating girls anyway."

"From what you've told me of her mother," Makoto grimaced. "She sounds like the type of person who would pack up and move to start over somewhere else rather than accept that if she did stand up to her."

"That doesn't exactly sound wrong." Ran sighed. The three sat in silence, staring at nothing in particular as their minds wandered and they considered the hopelessness of Ran's situation. The group jumped with a start as someone knocked on the door and the Tachibana matriarch entered.

"So this is where everyone is." She smiled, not taking in the atmosphere of the room.

"Ah, sorry!" Makoto apologized. "We didn't hear you come home!" The mother cast her gaze around the room.

"Where's Ren?" She asked.

"Wasn't he at the table?" Haru questioned.

"No, I haven't seen him at all." Haru felt the color drain from his face as he recalled the way he had snapped at Ren.

"Haru?" Makoto prompted. Haru looked at him worriedly.

"I overreacted to something he said and got upset with him before I came in here." Haru admitted. "I wonder if he's gone out somewhere to get away from me."

"It's going to be getting dark soon." Makoto observed. "He knows better than to be out after dark without calling. I'm sure he'll be back soon."

"I'll keep my phone on me while I start dinner." His mother offered calmly. "I'll let you know if I hear from him." She left the room, oblivious to the depth of the situation.

"What did you get upset over, Haru-chan?" Ran asked, straightening up a little.

"He asked me a question, I answered it, and he didn't want to believe me." Haru replied shortly. "He was also upset that we're all in on what's going on with you and he's not. He's very concerned about you."

"He is?" Ran seemed to come to a realization. "It could be that he's mad at me and what happened with you was just the final straw, then."

"Whatever the case," Makoto sighed. "We should go look for him if it gets too late. I don't like the idea of him being out alone when he's upset." Haru and Ran nodded in agreement.

* * *

Makoto stared at the clock on his phone. "I'm going to call him." He decided. It was fully dark outside and dinner was close to being ready and Ren still hadn't returned or called. The group had moved to Makoto's room while they were waiting but the video games were a poor distraction and were quickly given up on. Haru and Ran watched Makoto listen to the ringing phone. "It went to voicemail." He announced. "Ren, this is Makoto. Where are you? If you don't come home soon we're going to come looking for you. Please call me." He hung up the phone and sighed. Haru stood and opened the door.

"Let's go." He called impatiently. The guilt gnawing at his insides was too much for him to take anymore. He couldn't just sit and wait when it was his fault Ren had left and was ignoring them. Makoto and Ran followed him to the front door and they quickly put on their shoes and jackets. Makoto called out to his mother to let her know what they were doing and they left.

* * *

_I wish I could promise the next chapter to come faster but once again I have extra school work to get done before the weekend. It's actually my 21st birthday on Sunday so my best friend is going to come over and take me out at midnight for my first legal drink. Don't worry, though- the chapters may be coming a little slow right now but I'm so not giving this fic up any time soon. I haven't even gotten to the part I've been anticipating writing the most since it started -_^_


	7. Is Ren Okay?

_It's so sad having Free!less Wednesdays now... I miss my swimmer boys ;_; Ah, but due to some circumstances I couldn't do homework today, so I finished up this chapter instead. Enjoy~_

* * *

Haru threw open the door and bolted down the steps. About halfway down, he stopped, staring down towards the bottom. Makoto and Ran nearly crashed into him as they came to a sudden stop behind him. There, at the bottom of the steps, was Ren, sitting and talking to his father. Makoto and Ran stepped around Haru and simultaneously heaved sighs of relief at the sight.

"Thank goodness." Makoto smiled.

Ran continued down the stairs a little further before calling down to them, "Hey! Dinner's almost ready!" Ren turned and waved at them to signal that he heard and he and his father stood up and began their ascent. When they reached the others, Ran positioned her hands on her hips threateningly and glared at her twin. "Why didn't you answer your phone?!"

"I left it inside." Ren replied, throwing up his hands defensively. "Geez, what's wrong?"

"Ren, why didn't you tell us you were going out?" Makoto scolded. "We were all worried!"

"I only stepped outside for some fresh air." Ren looked at their worried faces and bowed his head apologetically. "I'm sorry!"

"If you were out here the whole time how come Mom didn't see you when she came home?" Ran argued.

"I heard a cat wailing from the bottom of the steps." Ren explained. "It's possible Mom passed me while I was poking around in the dark looking for it."

"Everyone, let's all relax and go inside for dinner." The Tachibana father interjected. "I kept Ren out here talking for quite some time. I don't want him to catch a chill." Everyone agreed and trudged back inside. Ran continued to shoot glares at her brother whenever she got the chance. After the way they had all worried about him, only to find out he had never left the steps.

After dinner, Ran pulled Ren aside and took him back to their room. "So you really just went out for some fresh air?" She asked him. "It wasn't cause you were mad at me, or at Haru-chan?"

"Not that I enjoy being left out," Ren chided, "but I wasn't really mad at anyone. Lonely, yes, and worried about you, yes, but not mad." Ran relaxed her shoulders. He didn't seem at all concerned about Haru's end of it.

"I'm sorry," She apologized. "I hate keeping secrets from you."

"Then don't." Ren responded. Ran nodded and pulled him in for a hug. Ren reluctantly accepted it. "What's this for?"

"I want to hug you now in case you don't want to talk to me again." Came Ran's muffled reply.

"Why wouldn't I talk to you?" Ren asked, bewildered.

"Cause," Ran pulled away. "I'm going to tell you what I've been keeping secret. And I don't know if you'll hate me after." Ren gulped. Just what on earth was she hiding?!

"Okay..?" He prompted. Ran paced around as she began her explanation. When she had told him everything, she stood before Ren apologetically and bowed.

"I'm sorry!" She raised her head to glimpse Ren's expression; he was staring back at her blankly.

"_That's _the big secret?" He asked incredulously. "Seriously?"

"Yes..?" Ran replied. Ren sighed and shook his head.

"You of all people should know I wouldn't judge you for dating someone of the same sex." He said. "After all, you've never judged me."

"That wasn't exactly what I was worried about." Ran forced a smile. Had Ren even noticed that she was talking about an ex of his? "So it doesn't bother you at all that I've been dating your first girlfriend?"

"Not really." Ren replied. "I mean, that was middle school. She hadn't figured out that she liked girls yet, right? If anything," he smiled, "I feel better about our breakup now." Ran felt as though a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She stared at Ren in disbelief.

"I feel like such an idiot." She breathed. "That whole fight we had could have been avoided... I thought for sure you'd be upset if you knew!"

"Maybe a few days ago it would have upset me a little." Ren conceded. "But the way you told Haru and Onii-chan but refused to tell me made me think there was something really serious going on."

"Well there is." Ran insisted. "Don't forget the part about taking a break. It's hard to deal with that."

"Right." Ren nodded. "You gonna be okay?" Ran looked away sadly.

"I think so," she answered quietly. "It's not forever, at least, not yet." Ren reached out and ruffled his sister's hair. "Hey!"

"Thanks," he smiled. "It means a lot that you finally told me."

"Sure," Ran mumbled, combing her fingers through her hair. "Well, I would say, 'now we both know each other's secrets', but this isn't much of a secret anymore, huh?"

"I guess not." Ren scuffed his foot on the ground. "I wonder if mine still counts as a secret now that I've told Onii-chan."

"Eh? You told Onii-chan?" Ran asked, surprised. "When was this?"

"When you and Haru were in that frilly dress shop." Ren made a face at the memory of the place. "After we went outside to wait."

"How'd he take it?" Ran was suddenly curious. She had never expected Ren to tell anyone else about his feelings for Haru.

"He was sympathetic, as usual." Ren replied. "He seems like he'd be okay with it if I did manage to get Haru to return my feelings."

"Is that so?" Ran pondered. "Then if that's the case, it's time to go on the offensive!" Ren jumped back from her sudden enthusiasm. She seemed to have gotten over her own troubles quickly enough. "With Onii-chan's blessing, we can work together to win you Haru's heart!"

"Wh-what?!" Ren's voice cracked. "Do you really think it's possible?"

"You love him, right?"

"Yeah..?"

"Then we have to try!" Ran grinned.

"But, I think Haru might like someone else." Ren protested.

"What? Really?" Ran questioned, surprised. "Who?" Ren looked away and his shoulders sank.

"I don't know if I should say..." He shook his head and sighed. "I mean, I can't confirm it. He did deny it, but..."

"If he denied it, what the problem?" Ran asked.

"Somehow, I don't believe him." Ren felt guilty that he couldn't just take Haru's word for it, but something wasn't sitting right with him and he couldn't ignore his suspicions.

"Hmmm..." Ran hummed. "It couldn't be Onii-chan..?"

"No!" Ren exclaimed. He sighed again and resigned himself to telling her. "I think he might like _you._"

"_Me?!_" Ran's eyes went wide, but she quickly returned to a scheming pose. "Oh man, what if he's not into guys?" She mused. "This could be hard."

"Can we just drop it for now?" Ren pleaded. "I'm getting all worked up and I still have homework to do tonight."

"Yeah, good idea." Ran mumbled. Her chin was resting on her hand as though she were deep in thought. "Why don't we pick this up again later, after I've had a chance to brainstorm this?" Ren nodded his agreement before halfheartedly retrieving his textbook from his book bag and flicking on the desk lamp. His mind was not on his work as he skimmed the same passage three times without remembering a single word of it.

A couple of days later, while getting ready for school, Ren found himself unable to concentrate. He was fumbling with his tie when Haru came and tied it for him. This was the only time he'd done that since the first time. Ren had actually been practicing tying the nuisance just so he could impress Haru. But somehow, he just felt off today, and he couldn't make the damn thing cooperate. He wondered if it was just some hormonal teenage thing; he hadn't heard any new ideas from his sister yet and he couldn't seem to take him mind off of it. Shrugging it off, he and Ran left together, though no conversation passed between them along the way.

* * *

Haru watched Makoto pace excitedly as he spoke on his cellphone. He could tell his friend was trying to keep a calm voice but his face gave him away; it appeared to be a call back from one of the places he'd applied to, probably for an interview. After Makoto hung up, he enthusiastically confirmed this, a bright smile on his face.

"This is great!" He exclaimed. "I have an interview tomorrow!"

"Congratulations." Haru offered, not nearly as excited. He was glad for him, but if Makoto got a job before he did, it would make living arrangements difficult in the mean time. Makoto would have to commute until Haru was able to find something, or else he'd have to look for another roommate.

"I hope this means you'll start getting calls, too." Makoto smiled, settling down a little. Haru looked away from him. "Ah! I should make sure my suit is in good condition!" He began heading for his bedroom when the house phone rang. Haru stood to answer it but Makoto waved him down, returning to get it himself. "Hello?" There was a moment of silence while the person on the other end spoke. "They're not home right now, but I'm his older brother. Can I help you?" Haru watched with curiosity. "I see. Yes, I'll come right away." Makoto hung up the phone with sagging shoulders.

"What's wrong?" Haru asked.

"That was the school." Makoto frowned. "Ren has a fever. I'm going to go pick him up."

"I'll go with you." Haru offered. Makoto nodded and the two quickly readied themselves to go out. Makoto grabbed a packet of tissues before they left and Haru found himself admiring his thoughtfulness. He hadn't even considered that Ren might need those, but he thought it was typical of Makoto to realize such things. He was always taking care of others that way.

When they got to the school, Ren was definitely quite sick, with a rising fever, pale complexion, and disoriented movements. He didn't seem entirely with it while they made their way back home, and trying to tackle the steps, the last obstacle keeping him from his bed, proved to be too much. Haru helped get him on Makoto's back and they set off up the steps slowly, as Makoto needed to take deep breaths between each step. Halfway up Haru offered to switch with him, but Makoto shook his head, insisting that he'd be fine. Ren had other ideas, however, and wriggled his way free from his brother, declaring that he would be able to do the last bit himself and muttering something about not wanting to burden anyone. He made it only a few steps before Haru and Makoto had to catch his arms to keep him from falling. They each took and arm over their shoulders and helped the exhausted boy the rest of the way up, not letting him go until they had him in his bed.

Makoto helped Ren change clothes and Haru went to the kitchen to make some broth. When Makoto came out and informed him that Ren had fallen asleep, Haru set the broth on a low simmer to keep it ready for when he woke up.

"That's what he gets for not wearing a jacket outside at night." Haru commented, thinking back to the night they'd all rushed outside looking for him. The fact that he was without a jacket lended to his story that he was only out for some fresh air and that he had stayed close to the house the whole time. Now Haru found himself even more concerned about him; this wasn't just some cold. He was really sick.

"If his fever hasn't broken by tomorrow I'm going to call the doctor." Makoto grimaced. "I hope I don't have to."

When Ran returned from school that afternoon she was panicked. "Is Ren okay?" She asked as soon as she found Makoto and Haru, who were looking at ties and socks in Makoto's room.

"His fever is still high." Makoto answered coolly, trying not to sound too worried. "But he's been resting all afternoon. I'm sure he'll be fine in a few days." Ran pouted.

"I bet it's cause he went outside without a jacket." She mumbled. Makoto smiled at Haru, who gave him a look before quickly shoving a tie in his face.

"This one." He decided.

"Huh?" Ran noticed her older brother's suit was laid out and she looked at the small collection of ties the two men were holding. "Is Onii-chan going somewhere?"

"I have an interview tomorrow." Makoto replied, his mood brightening a bit. "Oh," he froze. "If I'm going to be gone tomorrow, that leaves Haru alone to take care of Ren."

"It's no problem." Haru shrugged. "We'll be fine."

"If you're sure you don't mind..."

"I said it's fine." Haru repeated more insistently. A coughing fit from the other room sent all three to check on Ren. He insisted he was fine and was agreeable to trying some of Haru's broth, and reluctantly he agreed to stay in bed to drink it. While he was awake he forced down some medicine, quickly following it with another sip of broth to clear the bitter taste from his mouth before sinking down under the covers for another nap. He seemed embarrassed to have all three fussing over him and preferred sleep to having them all standing around watching him.


	8. I'll Do It

_Short chapter is short, sorry ._. It's NaNoWriMo time and I'm way behind D; There will be more after NaNo, I promise! The next chapter is going to be fun~!_

* * *

During the night Ren's fever broke and by morning he was able to drag himself and his cocoon of blankets out to the couch where he was fussed over by Makoto and Ran before they each left. His parents also smothered him before leaving for their jobs but he didn't mind that as much. Haru went about his business normally, occasionally stopping to look at Ren, who would stare back with a hint of annoyance until Haru returned to whatever it was he had been doing at the time. He told Ren that he could call for him if he needed anything, and seemed to feel that he should have been needed at least once during the morning, but Ren had not spoken a word.

At lunch time Ren sat with Haru at the table, both eating lunches prepared by Ren's mother. Haru asked how Ren was feeling, to which Ren replied that he was fine, and tried to convince Haru that he didn't need to take care of him.

"You're still sick." Haru reminded him.

"My fever's gone way down." Ren protested. "I can take care of myself."

"I won't allow it." Haru said adamantly. Ren stood with his dishes but Haru snatched them from his hands and sent him back to the couch. "You need to rest."

"All I've done all day is rest." Ren whined.

"Exactly." Haru responded. "That's what sick people are supposed to do." Ren begrudgingly returned to the couch and flipped through TV stations. After Haru finished cleaning up from lunch, he heard Ren calling him over.

"Haru, I'm so bored!" He complained. "Isn't there anything you'll let me do?"

"We could play a game." Haru offered. Ren agreed to this idea and Haru brought out Makoto's gaming system. Ren made room for Haru to sit on the couch and they played together for a couple of hours before that, too, became boring.

"Hey, Haru," Ren asked, "wanna watch a movie?" Haru smiled a little smile and nodded, taking the gaming system and putting it aside so he could set the TV up for DVDs. He was glad that Ren wasn't bothered by him playing care giver anymore and was more than happy to stay with him if it meant he was sitting still and resting.

Ren took a moment to stretch his legs and exercise his little bit of freedom while he picked out what he wanted to watch and brought it to Haru. It was an old Disney movie they used to watch a lot as kids with Ran and Makoto, but this was a newer copy that had options for the original English dubbing with Japanese subtitles.

"It's kinda weird to listen to it in English, but you've gotta try it at least once!" Ren commented. Haru settled in next to him and let him have the remote. When the movie started, Ren was watching Haru for his reactions to the familiar opening with the unfamiliar voices. Haru remained rather stoic, though his eyebrows did scrunch just a bit now and then.

Before Ariel had made it to the sea witch, Ren had fallen asleep against Haru's shoulder. When Haru noticed, he pulled a blanket up over the boy and smiled. A nap didn't seem like such a bad idea. Haru positioned himself as comfortably as he could without disturbing Ren and let himself drift off just as Ariel signed over her voice.

When Haru woke, the TV was off, and a blanket had been draped over him. Ren was still asleep against his shoulder, which was now wet from drool, and had wrapped his arm around Haru's, hugging it gently to his chest. Haru smiled and ran his fingers through Ren's hair before putting his wrist to his forehead to check his fever. It seemed to have completely passed now, much to Haru's relief. Even though his dampened sleeve was uncomfortable, Haru remained still and let Ren continue to sleep. At one point, Ren slid forward and ended up with his head in Haru's lap. He stirred just long enough to shift his shoulders before he was quietly asleep again. Haru readjusted the blanket so it was covering him again and began absentmindedly stroking Ren's arm as he began to drift off.

Haru jumped awake when he heard footsteps approaching him and looked up to see Makoto coming from the direction of his bedroom. "How long have you been home?" He whispered.

"Almost an hour." Makoto replied softly. "How's he doing?" He gestured to Ren, who was still sleeping on Haru.

"His fever seems to be gone." Haru said quietly. "It's a good thing, too. Up until he fell asleep he was incredibly restless."

"Sounds about right." Makoto chuckled, smiling at the news. He noticed the way Haru had begun caressing Ren's arm again and gave him a curious look.

"What?"

"It's nothing!" Makoto insisted with a grin. Haru squinted his eyes at him. What was he thinking..? He didn't have a chance to ask that question because Ran had just announced her arrival and Ren woke up at the sound of her closing the door. Once he realized where he was and what he'd been doing, he sat upright and began apologizing.

"It's fine." Haru said coolly. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah, how are you feeling, Ren?" Ran asked as she entered the room.

"I feel a lot better." Ren replied, adding to Haru, "thanks for taking care of me." Haru nodded and stood up, his body cracking from his prolonged motionlessness.

In the evening, after everyone was home, Makoto announced that after his interview he'd been invited back for a second interview. Congratulations were called out by everyone and Makoto grinned nervously. While this was certainly a good sign, it was by no means a job offer. He was trying to get a job as a teacher, and this particular school was in need of an elementary-level special needs teacher. It would be a very demanding job at times and they wanted to make sure Makoto was suited for the work. After all, he only had minimal training on what to do for special needs students. If the second interview went well, he told everyone, he may be asked back to assist in one of the classes for a few days as a trial period before receiving an offer. Everyone at the table wished him luck and assured him that he would do great.

After everyone had dispersed to their rooms for the night, Ran finally had a moment alone with Ren. "Remember how I said I'd think of something?" She asked excitedly. Ren nodded that he did, and she continued, "well, I think I've got something."

"What?" Ren's curiosity was piqued and he sat up in his bed to listen. Ran came over and whispered her plan to him, smiling and moving her hands emphatically. When she'd finished, Ren did not appear pleased by the suggestion. "Are you kidding me?" He asked. "That's never gonna work, and it's _embarrassing_!"

"Aww, c'mon, you have nothing to lose!" Ran pleaded, sad that her self-proclaimed genius idea was being put down so quickly. "It'll be just like that time when we were little, only you don't have to leave the house!"

"How much of this is really believing it'll help and how much of this is you just wanting to see me do it?" Ren questioned.

"Will you at least think it over?" Ran begged, ignoring his question. "You have until Sunday before we could do it anyway."

"I'll think about it." Ren agreed. "But I'm not liking it." Ran grinned triumphantly. He didn't have to like doing it, as long as he got results.

On Saturday evening, Ran was about to confront Ren for an answer when she got intercepted by Haru. Knowing she couldn't talk about the plan around him, she decided to pull him aside to chat for a little while, inwardly deciding that she could always wake Ren up if he tried to go to sleep early to avoid her.

"Haru-chan, let's talk!" She exclaimed, grabbing Haru's hand and pulling him into the dining room. Her parents were in bed and Makoto was in the bath, so it was just the two of them. Haru seemed reluctant to make eye contact and Ran thought back to what Ren had told her. Curiosity got the better of her and she decided to find out if what he'd said was true.

"What do you want to talk about?" Haru asked. Ran hummed while she thought.

"Weeell..." She drawled. "You know what's going on with me and Momoka-chan... why don't you tell me about you? Do you like anyone right now?" Haru briefly lost his composure before fixing himself into a thoughtful position.

"It's hard to say," he answered cautiously. "It doesn't feel the way my crushes used to."

"Is that what happens when you get older?" Ran asked, a pout on her face at the thought that she may not experience such head-over-heels feelings in a few years.

"Could be." Haru shrugged. Ran rested her head on her hand thoughtfully and glanced between Haru and the kitchen.

"What do you think about me?" Ran finally asked, her eyes now fixated firmly on Haru's to catch any hint of change in his expression.

"What about you?" Haru had to fight to keep eye contact.

"Would you say I'm pretty?" She fished, prodding him closer to telling her what she wanted to know.

"Yes, you're pretty." Haru's cheeks tinged pink. "But I think you're more cute than pretty. You're very cute." Ran grinned. She nearly had him.

"Aww, thank you, Haru-chan!" She beamed. Now, with a mischievous look in her eye, she got to the main question. "Do you like me, Haru-chan?" Haru was dead silent, his eyes having grown slightly wider and his face slightly pinker.

"I... might have." Haru admitted shyly, unable to lie to her. "After Makoto found out I finally started getting over it, but..."

"But?" Ran prodded curiously. So Ren had been right.

"Is it wrong?" Haru asked, the embarrassment giving way to concern.

"Why would it be wrong?" Ran asked, a bit surprised by the question.

"I'm so much older than you." Haru sighed. "And I've known you your whole life. We're practically family."

"The age difference only seems like a big deal now." Ran said gently, acutely aware that if she misspoke now she could hurt her brother's chances. "In five, ten years, it won't seem that big."

"That's true," Haru admitted.

"And sometimes it's the people who have known each other their whole lives that end up happiest together." Ran continued, quickly adding, "but you said you don't feel that way about me anymore anyway, right? And I've got Momoka-chan, or, I will again soon."

"Yeah." Haru sighed again, but then he smiled. "You know, I feel a lot better now."

"Good!" Ran smiled in return. She stood up from the table and excused herself. "I'm glad we got to talk, and sorry if I made you uncomfortable." She said. "Goodnight!"

"Goodnight," Haru returned. When Ran got into her bedroom, Ren was still awake, not even in his pajamas yet.

"Have you decided?" Ran asked. Ren nodded. "And?"

"I'll do it." He sighed, defeated. Ran was grinning from ear to ear.

"Good!" She clapped her hands on his shoulders. "And I have news!" She walked around to her bed and sat down, pulling off her socks and locating her pajamas under her pillow. "It seems Haru-chan _did_ have a crush on me, but he doesn't anymore."

"Is that so?" Ren yawned. "And that's good news?"

"Of course!" Ran looked at him like he was dumb. "It means the door is open for him to start liking someone else, aka, you!"

"I hope you're right," Ren sighed. "Or else I'm going to feel really foolish tomorrow."


End file.
